“How-To” Cooking – Blanching

Blanching is a technique that is used to soften the texture of food, set its color, and in some cases make them easier to peel. When blanching, food is submerged in boiling water for just a few seconds and then it’s removed and immediately plunged into very cold ice water. The hot water serves to soften the texture of the fruit or vegetable and the ice-cold water bath not only stops the cooking process but also sets its bright color.

For thin-skinned fruits such as peaches or tomatoes blanching makes it easier to peel their skin off while leaving the inner flesh nice and firm.

To blanch for peeling purposes:

Cut out the stem and then score (shallowly cut) an “X” in the blossom end of the fruit.

Plunge the fruit into boiling water for 30-60 seconds or until the skin begins to wrinkle.

Transfer the fruit to an ice-cold water bath.

Once the fruit is cooled, remove from the water, and peel away the skin using a small paring knife.